
Isabel
“Doña Isabel de Porcel,” I announce reverently, as we stand in front of her portrait. You look unimpressed.
“My beloved,” I continue. “My one true love.”
“In love with a painting? A woman from another century?” You throw back your head and laugh, then walk away muttering. “Estás loco! Possessed by a ghost!”
But who are you, to call me crazy? Who are you to call me possessed? It is you who lives the dry and dusty existence, settling for crumbs, while I climb to the stars! She is there, my Isabel, my Andalusian princess, there in the constellations, there on the ancient cliff side overlooking the canyon, there in the city of three bridges.
What do you know of love? What do you know of beauty? Were you to sit at Goya’s feet as he painted, you still would not recognize those lustrous eyes, those ripe, enchanting lips. You with your pack horse and abacus, measuring time in stingy pieces of silver, what do you know of joy?
I see my Isabel reaching down to me through the ages, her eyes like dark moons, her hair curling and whispering through her midnight mantilla. You say she’s a ghost. A ghost she may be, but what does that matter? You are but a tiny island, counting your coins, while I am a universe swirling to the dance of my beloved.
She has summoned me to Ronda, to the three bridges – Puente Romano, Puente Viejo, Puente Nuevo, connecting the ancient city to the new. A fourth bridge is close by, an invisible secret bridge, the Puente Eterno, connecting my life with hers. Once we cross it, we’ll be forever entwined.
Ah, I must go. Do you hear her calling me? Surely you can see her moving to the edge of the abyss. She emits a soft light. Her eyes shine with the glow of other worlds. She beckons and I run toward her with outstretched arms. I take her hand and we joyously stand at the gaping entrance to the beyond, the fourth bridge. Together, we step out into eternity.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThis story creates a medieval setting, immersing the reader in the narrator’s world. The use of personification (“stingy pieces of silver”) and metaphors (“You are but a tiny island . . . while I am a universe . . .”) draws the reader into the narrator’s mindset until “we step into eternity”. Beautifully written, other-wordly, and yet based on a real place, a real person, and a real painting. An impressive achievement!

My turn to educate myself from your story, as I am not familiar with the works of Goya. I have been to Ronda though. Is the coin counter anyone in particular?
Hi Susan – It’s amazing that you’ve actually been to Ronda. I was fascinated by the ancient city during my research. Did you see the three bridges? Goya painted Isabel sometime around 1805. The image for my story is a close-up of the actual painting, which I believe is currently at the National Gallery in London. Here’s a link to a study of the painting: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/francisco-de-goya-dona-isabel-de-porcel The “coin counter” is simply a… Read more »
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleA very different tale to the rest. Lovingly written, you can feel the protagonists yearning.
Thanks so much for your comment, Emily!
Hello Fuji, I like the description of the painting. When I saw the face in the picture I thought how expressive, and wrote in that vein. I enjoyed this different approach.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you Eric. You might want to see the link I included in a response to Susan Dawson which tells more about the painting!
I’m in awe of the lovely metaphors and descriptions you’ve used in this story. The prose was melodic and hypnotic and drew me in right from the first line. Isabel would truly be a beautiful painting to see. Great job!
I’m very grateful for your comment, Pragya. I chose each word very carefully and reworked the story many times before feeling that I had achieved just the right atmosphere. The painting of Isabel is real, the portrait of a real Spanish lady.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleI could visualise the painting through your words. I loved your descriptions and how you brought the painting to life.
Thank you so much, Genya. Amazingly enough, I had imagined the entire plot before I knew there was such a painting. I wanted to portray a half-mad Poe-like character who falls in love with a painting and follows it to “eternity”. I had picked the name “Isabel” for the painting. At that point, I did a Google search on “painting Isabel” just out of curiosity and found an entire treasure trove –… Read more »
I wish I could give this story a hundred likes. It is extremely well worked through in all its beautifully expressed details (for example “I am a universe swirling to the dance of my beloved“!), with its romantic theme and its historic and factual background. I am glad that Isabel finally could meet with her admirer on the fourth, secret, invisible and eternal bridge, Puente (-a?) Eterna. And I am so sorry… Read more »
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleAh Christer. You always write such appreciative comments! As I said in response to some of the other comments, I did a lot of research for this story and found a treasure trove in the online information about Ronda. I’m also so sorry you didn’t go there – the pictures of it are spell-binding. We’ll have to ask Susan Dawson for her impressions of the city. My Spanish isn’t the best –… Read more »
I just read this (thank you!) and your other comments to your “fans” (lol) and just want to add that you did an amazing job combining your factual research results with your own, personally inspired, creation. It’s an amazing combination. As for the Spanish word “puente”, it is a masculine noun, and an adjective that is combined with it takes on an -o at the end, just like you see in the… Read more »
I just want to add that I didn’t know anything about Ronda when I first read your story. It was a fascinating discovery! Last week, I happened to see an incredible photo of Ronda, taken from above, with magnificent colors and clouds all around the city. You can also see one of the bridges. When I saw it, I felt so grateful for having read your story. It was like an extra… Read more »
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleChrister, I would so love to see the photo you described. One of the best things about being a writer is that we get to make incredible discoveries and then add our own twist to things that are already amazing! Ah, Ronda in its covering of colors and clouds! Sounds like a setting for a sequel! I did want to ask you about my “Puenta Eterna” which evidently should have been something… Read more »
I’m sorry I didn’t see this extra comment right after you posted it, Fuji. Only now, more than half a year later, did I discover your question and see that you, with Voice.club’s help, got the correct Spanish name for your bridge: Puente Eterno. The good thing is that I got to re-read your story again. Since it’s worth several re-readings, I am glad I did! And I decided that I’ll send… Read more »
This is so humbling. I truly have so much to learn. This is such fine work there is just nothing left to say. The skill, the thought, you are a true master of words. I can only hope to create such pieces.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleLydia, your comment means so much to me. Believe me, we all have so much to learn – from each other! I still think of your wonderful story “Puma” as the epitome of a story which keeps the reader engaged long after reading it. It’s amazing to me that you are only 16 and already writing so incredibly well. The two things that help me the most in improving my writing are… Read more »
Thank you so much for the advice and the kind words. I am waiting for my stories to get accepted. Looking forward to your feedback.
A very different story with its medieval setting. Yet it was very nice and well written. You perfectly visualize the painting by your words.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you Lotchie, for reading and commenting!
Congratulations, Fuji, you’ve created a wonderful story filled with detailed descriptions and literary techniques!
Thank you Katy. I’m glad you enjoyed the story.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleYou are very welcome! Continue writing such beautiful stories.